One of the many delightful features of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kyoto is a nightly dance performance by a maiko, or apprentice geisha. Chikasaya in her light green kimono and impeccable make-up performed nightly. Maiko like Chikasaya begin their training at about age fifteen, after completing their manadatory education. Students have many choices to
Articles Categorized Lifestyle
Japanese Culture: Buddhist Temples & Shinto Shrines
Although it’s possible to visit Japan without visiting a temple, I think its improbable since shrines can be found everywhere you look. The Torii Gate, one of the most famous symbols of Japan, is part of the Itsukushima-jinja Shinto shrine on the Island of Miyajima. Approaching by sea at high tide, the gate is an
Japanese Culture: Taiko, Kabuki, & Bunraku
I’ve been traveling again, and today’s blog is the first of a series about my visit to Japan. Japan brings many images to mind, from theserenity of a Zen garden to the frenetic pace of traffic in Tokyo. I traveled mostly by ship, beginning my journey in Kyoto and continuing up the western coast of
Luggage Luxury
Packing for a well-deserved holiday can be stressful, depending on the length of the trip and the expected activities. If all you need is a couple swimsuits, shorts, T-shirts, and maybe a long skirt for evening, there’s no problem fitting everything into a carry-on bag. But if the journey requires business casual as well as
Nostalgia for “Good Old Summer Time”
It’s Memorial Day Weekend. Are you ready to dive into summer? Every summer is magical, but no summer is matches my kid-size memories. Take this swimmer diving into a lake. It takes me back to high school summers on the lakeshore. We basted ourselves with cocoa butter — something I now deeply regret — and
Nylon Stockings: Why or Why Not?
In 2009 journalist Gail Collins wrote a Letter to Young American Women, advising them that if they had come of age in 1960 they would feel more restricted, “if only because you were doomed to spend you days in a skirt, nylon stockings and girdle. (Everybody wore a girdle back then, even Barbie, the individual
Backyard Grilling
May with its promise of summer is the time of year when the local home improvement store features rows and rows of shiny barbecue grills. There’s the simple, basic grill; the ubiquitous Weber grill, and upscale gas grills with temperature control. People have been cooking over an open flame since the discovery of fire. Grilling
Honey – Nectar of the Gods
Spring officially begins on Wednesday, though winter is often slow in leaving. As the earth warms up, flowers begin to peek through, inviting bees to gather pollen. Bees, of course, produce honey from floral nectar and store it in wax honeycombs within their hives. During their six-week lifespan, each worker bee produces half a teaspoon
St Patrick’s Day and the ‘Wearin’ o’ the Green’
Next Sunday, March 17, is St. Patrick’s Day. You might wonder how a dour saint from fifth century Ireland could inspire our celebratory madness of green beer, parades, and dancing. And if such a man existed. The answer is . . . Well, let me tell you the stories first. In the year 387 in
The White Rabbit Needs a Cup of Tea
“The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.” Poor White Rabbit. He was under such stress, always looking at his watch and fretting. And we do exactly the same. Over-scheduling. Multi-Tasking. Running from here to there and back again. Texting while walking. Listening to podcasts while jogging. Fidgeting while waiting in the spa Quiet Room.
Two Coins: A Sense of Place
My latest book, Two Coins: A Biographical Novel, officially released this past Friday, February 1, 2019. And, I’m excited to share some of the background to Mary Pigot’s story, and how I found it. While doing research for Rama’s Labyrinth, I ran across several references to the case of Pigot vs. Hastie, a civil suit
SELDOM EFFECTIVE COLD REMEDIES THROUGH THE AGES
Since we’re about half way through the 2018-19 cold and flu season, it seems appropriate to mention various ways people have ineffectively looked for remedies. There is still no cure for the common cold, but that’s not because remedies haven’t been attempted. We now know that over 200 viruses are able to cause a cold,
“Tidying Up”
Did anyone select decluttering as a goal for 2019? Many folks do. That’s why there are so many plastic bins on sale now, because, if you can fit all your extra stuff into plastic bins, you can stack the bins in a closet or garage or storage unit and never think about the items again
Three Monkeys & Four Agreements
As we settle into the new year, it’s as good a time as any to reflect on old and new wisdom. [The new wisdom is like the old, but with more directions.] This wooden depiction of the Three Monkeys sat on the bookshelf in my parents’ house. Presently, it’s on my fireplace mantle. It
RESOLVE TO EVOLVE
Today is the first Monday of 2019 and my calendar pages are already filled with appointments, tasks and things I’m not supposed to forget. Inevitably, I’ll forget something, and some tasks are still left over from 2018. But for the moment, efficiency and order appear possible. Who knows? This could be the year I finally
PETERHOF: THE RUSSIAN VERSAILLES
Peter the Great became the first of the Romanov tzars in 1682. Standing at six feet, seven inches tall he was an imposing figure. Today his legacy still dominates St. Petersburg, the city he founded on the banks of the Neva River as his Window to the West. So, it seems fitting to begin our